Remote convenience systems are known in the art. Such remote convenience systems permit remote control of certain functions. One type of remote convenience system is for remotely controlling vehicle functions. Other example types of remote convenience systems include garage door opener systems and entry light activation systems.
Focusing now on the remote convenience vehicle systems, examples of remotely controlled functions include locking and unlocking of one or more vehicle doors. A remote convenience vehicle system that permits remote locking and unlocking functions is commonly referred to as a remote keyless entry system.
Such remote convenience vehicle systems may provide for control of other vehicle functions. For example, a remote vehicle locator function may be provided. The vehicle locator function causes the vehicle horn to emit a horn chirp and/or the headlights of the vehicle to flash “ON”. This allows a person to quickly locate their vehicle within a crowded parking lot.
Known remote convenience vehicle systems include a receiver unit mounted in an associated vehicle and at least one portable, hand-held transmitter unit located remote from the receiver unit. Each transmitter unit is provided with one or more manually actuatable pushbutton switches. Each pushbutton switch is associated with a remote control vehicle function to be performed. The transmitter unit includes circuitry that responds to the actuation of each pushbutton switch to transmit a message in the form of a digital signal.
As the sophistication of vehicles has increased, the number and complexity of vehicle systems has increased. Following this increase in number and complexity of vehicle systems, there has been a movement toward an increase in the number of systems and the number of tasks that are to be remotely controlled.
Focusing now on remote convenience functions that are part of non-vehicle systems (e.g., garage door opener systems and entry light activation systems), there has also been an increase in the number of devices and tasks that are to be remotely controlled. Thus, it is common for a person to have a portable transmitter unit associated with a remote convenience vehicle system, a portable transmitter unit associated with a garage door opener system, and a portable transmitter unit associated with an entry light activation system.
It is common for a person to have authorized access to a plurality of vehicles. Accordingly, the person may have a plurality of portable transmitter units, each unit being associated with a different vehicle.